TfL spends £37,000 clearing homeless camps from Park Lane in Westminster
Transport for London (TFL) has spent nearly £37,000 clearing homeless camps from Park Lane, raising questions about whether better approaches are needed to support people sleeping rough in central London. Responding to a Freedom of Information request, TfL confirmed that it spent £35,260 in 2024–25, and £1,714 this year, with around £404 more added recently, bringing the total to £37,378. These costs cover court actions, bailiff fees, and legal advice linked to multiple encampments along the green verge beside Park Lane’s dual carriageway.
TfL, which oversees that stretch of land, has worked alongside Westminster City Council to remove the camps. A spokesperson said Park Lane is unsafe for rough sleeping but emphasised that “no‑one should be faced with sleeping rough”. Homelessness charity St Mungo’s called for a more supportive response, urging authorities to help people access emergency accommodation, private rentals or specialist housing instead of relying on enforcement alone.
The costs provide a snapshot of enforcement spending rather than long‑term solutions. Westminster Conservative councillors Paul Fisher and Tim Barnes cautioned that repeated clearances without lasting intervention will merely repeat the problem. “Otherwise we will be back at square one,” they said, describing the situation as unacceptable for a central London location.
Past clearances include a lengthy three-figure encampment removed in 2021, believed to have stood for seven years, followed by another group of around 40 removed last October after a possession order. TfL assured that those removed have been warned not to return and that security patrols are now in place.
The figures also raise a broader question for Londoners, particularly those in Westminster: is repeatedly clearing encampments the best way to spend public money, or would those funds be better invested in prevention and long-term housing support? The debate goes beyond Park Lane, touching on how the capital responds to rough sleeping in its most visible spaces and whether enforcement alone can ever provide a lasting answer. Further details on the Government’s wider strategy can be found in its official homelessness plan.
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